‘Bad’ pupils’ Leavers Day fun cut short
ANGER AS ‘GOOD’ CHILDREN ALLOWED TO PLAY ON INFLATABLES BEFORE OTHERS
ANGRY parents say their children’s school leavers celebration was spoiled when the ‘good’ kids were allowed to join in the fun first, while the ‘naughty’ ones had to sit and watch.
The families of Year 6 pupils at Arden Primary School, in Bredbury, Stockport, paid £10 each for a fun day with inflatables and ice cream for the pupils to enjoy on their penultimate day at primary school.
But at the event, children with the school’s ‘Always Badge’ - given to the most well-behaved pupils - were allowed on to the inflatables first, while the other pupils had to stay in school.
Parents whose children were kept inside for the first couple of hours of the school day say it was unfair to punish them in their final week - when they had already been disciplined for any misbehaviour with detentions and missed playtimes.
When contacted by the M.E.N., the Arden head teacher Nicola Haddock defended the school’s decision to single out the children with good behaviour and let them on first - but said all children had at least two-and-ahalf hours on the play equipment.
Melissa Jopling’s son Milo, 11, was one of the children without an Always Badge - and says he had to sit in silence and watch as other children had fun.
She said: “The ones without a badge have already been punished, so why punish them twice?
“We’re talking about things like not holding a door open for a teacher, or arguing at playtimes.
“My son had the badge but it was taken away when he was fidgeting in class but that was because they’d taken his fidget spinner off him.
“He managed to get it again but then it was taken off him because he shared his crisps with someone and they said the other child could have had an allergy.”
Melissa, 34, who complained to the head teacher, is launching a petition to end the Always Badge as her other son, Mika, seven, is still at the school.
Mum Kerry McCarthy also criticised the school on Facebook. She said: “Everyone paid the same amount, to do the same fun day.
“How very wrong is it to punish a child on a fun day when they have already been punished beforehand.”
Not all followers on Facebook agreed, with one woman replying: “I’m with Miss Haddock on this.
“This reinforces that good behaviour is rewarded and it will hopefully resonate with the kids that had to wait and hopefully will help moderate their future behaviour. Sorry guys.”